Compound Adjectives

Here, for your reference, is a long list of the most frequently encountered types of compound adjectives
and the rules on hyphenation. When in doubt, always check the dictionary.

Compound
Rule on
Adjective Example
Hyphenation
Formed With
all Always hyphenate. all-inclusive study
century Always hyphenate. twentieth-century technology
cross Some hyphenated, some open, cross-referenced section
some closed. Check the dictionary. cross-country skis
But: crosscut saw
fold Closed unless formed tenfold increase
with numbers of 100 or more. 100-fold increase
full Hyphenated before noun, full-scale drawings
open after noun. The drawings are full scale.
half Most hyphenated, some half-inch measurement
closed. Check the dictionary. half-baked plan
halfway house
halfhearted attempt
high, low, upper, lower, Most hyphenated before high-volume trading
middle, mid noun, open after noun. highbrow organization (check
the dictionary!)
middle-class voters
mid-Atlantic region
Mideast peace process
like Closed unless root word ends catlike jumping ability
in l or ll or has three syllables or childlike demeanor
more. cathedral-like faade
number + odd Always hyphenate twenty-odd pages
compounds formed with 360-odd days
numbers (words or numerals) four-hundred-odd socks,...
plus the word odd. but, four hundred odd socks
number Always open when used ten percent increase
to express a ratio (with the 100 percent change
word percent).
Number + Unit of Measure Always hyphenate three-mile limit
two-week vacation
150-yard skid mark
Number + Unit of Measure + Always hyphenate two-year-old daughter
Adjective sixty-five-year-old man
two-and-a-half-year-old child
twenty-five-foot-high wall
But: six year-old girls
Number + Number + Unit of Hyphenate the number and twenty-four six-inch-long meas
Measure + Adjective then the adjective urements
Number + Unit of Measure + Hyphenate the number a man sixty-five years old (note
Adjective (coming after noun) plural years)
twenty-four boys five years old
No hyphen a wall three meters high
fractional numbers Hyphenate spelled-out fractions two-thirds majority
used as adjectives.
 In mixed fractions, the whole
number is not joined to the
fraction by another hyphen.
numbers Hyphenate only the
numbers from twenty-one
through ninety-nine. All others
are open.
over, under Closed unless the
word the appears in the
compound.
self Most hyphenated. Closed
if prefix un- is added or suffix
added to self.
wide Always closed
unless cumbersome.
Cumbersome compounds are
hyphenated when they appear
before the noun modified and
open after the noun modified.
twenty-one and one-
quarter miles
four and one-eighth inches
twenty-four bottles of beer on
the wall
two hundred rock stars
overexposed film
underrated basketball team
over-the-counter stock market
under-the-table deal
self-confident applicant
self-conscious speaker
unselfconscious speaker
selfish act
selfless character trait
statewide referendum
worldwide legal services
university-wide crusade (comes
before the noun modified)
The crusade was
university wide (after noun
modified)